How to make the most of failure mode and effect analysis

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Administration
• Patient Safety
• Risk Management

Background:

• Accreditation standards mandate proactive risk assessments for high-risk healthcare activities.
• Existing hospital staff may lack specialized expertise for conducting these assessments.
• Biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs) and safety professionals possess transferable risk analysis skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To inform BMETs and other professionals about the increasing use of proactive risk assessment in healthcare.
• To highlight the applicability of existing job safety analysis skills to healthcare risk assessment.
• To introduce the Health Care Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (HFMEA) model developed by the VA National Center for Patient Safety.

Main Methods:

• Discussion of the Health Care Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (HFMEA) model.
• Exploration of transferable skills from job safety analyses and failure mode effect analyses.
• Reference to support documents and materials from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Main Results:

• BMETs and safety professionals can effectively contribute to healthcare proactive risk assessments.
• The HFMEA model provides a structured approach for healthcare risk analysis.
• VA resources offer valuable tools and guidance for implementing HFMEA.

Conclusions:

• Proactive risk assessment is growing in importance within the healthcare sector.
• Collaboration between BMETs, safety professionals, and healthcare providers enhances patient safety.
• The HFMEA model, supported by VA resources, is a key tool for healthcare risk management.